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Stability of Precast/Prestressed

Concrete Bridge Girders

Roy L. Eriksson, P.E. - Eriksson Technologies, Inc.


PCEF Committee - August 20, 2015, Raleigh, NC
Copyright © 2015 Eriksson Technologies, Inc.

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Roy Eriksson, PE
 Roy L. Eriksson, P.E., is President of Eriksson
Technologies, Inc. Based in Tampa with a branch
office in Denver, Eriksson is a full-service
structural engineering firm with special expertise
in the precast/prestressed concrete market. Roy
has over 30 yrs experience in structural
engineering with extensive design and detailing
experience in precast/prestressed concrete.
Eriksson Technologies has a practice group
devoted to fabricator support. Eriksson@LRFD.com

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Stages in the Life of a Girder

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Stages in the Life of a Girder

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Stages in the Life of a Girder

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Stages in the Life of a Girder

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Lateral Stability
 Two basic cases:
- Hanging beams
- Supported beams
 This presentation deals with hanging beams
 Lateral Stability of Long Prestressed Concrete
Beams (Mast 1989)
- Lateral bending stability of beams
- Not lateral-torsional buckling, as with steel
beams

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Lateral Stability
 Torsional stiffness of prestressed concrete beams
>> steel beams
 Therefore, assume P/S beams are torsionally rigid
 Lateral bending stability of beams
 For P/S beams, we are mainly concerned with:
- Statical equilibrium of the system
- Ability of the beam to resist lateral bending
• Cracking
• Flexural strength

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Theory of Stability
 Roll Axis
 Roll Equilibrium
 Factors of Safety

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Roll Axis
 Between Lift Points
 CG Under Roll Axis

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Roll Equilibrium

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Factors of Safety

 FS against cracking: 1.0


 FS against failure: 1.5

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Factors Influencing Stability - Lifting
 Type of girder
 Girder length
 Lifting points
 Amount of prestress
 Material Properties

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Factors Influencing Stability - Transport
 Type of girder
 Girder length
 Amount of prestress
 Material Properties
 Truck type, properties
 Roadway geometry

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Lifting Hardware
 Strand lifters
 Commercially available lifters
 Special Hardware

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Strand Lifters
Pros Cons
 Inexpensive  Deterioration
 Readily available  Fabrication tolerance
- Typically made in-  Placement tolerance
plant
 Load distribution to
 Variable sizing:
each lifter
- Variable stand dia.
- # strands/lifter
- # lifters/end

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Strand Lifters

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Commercial Lifters
Pros Cons
 Reliable  Higher cost
 Corrosion  Somewhat limited
resistant capacity

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Special Hardware
Pros Cons
 Corrosion resistant  Requires coordination
 High capacity with designer
 Quick connect  Engineered system

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Improving Stability
 Adjust lift point location
 Raise roll axis
 Add top strands
 Brace top flange
 Increase f’c
 Increase Iyy (i.e., change beam)

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Move Lift Points
 Reduces distance between roll axis and CG
 Easiest, most effective
 Need to check stresses!

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Raise Roll Axis
 Raise roll axis above the top of the girder
 Requires special hardware

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Add Top Strands
 Add 2 to 6 strands to top flange
 Can be pretensioned to post-tensioned
 Strands can be fully or partially stressed
 Add mid-span debonding if necessary to
pretensioned strands
 Coordinate with EOR!

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Add Top Strands

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Add Top Strands

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Allowable Stresses
 Allowable tension
 Allowable compression
 What are appropriate limit?
 EOR vs. fabricator
 Impact factors

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Impact Factors
 Handling in yard
- Under fabricator’s control
- Range: 1.00 – 1.20
 During transport
- Dependent upon many variable
• Higher speed
• Variable road condition
- Range: 1.20 – 1.50
• Truck
• Barge
• Rail

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Brace Top Flange
 Bolt a transversely-oriented steel truss to top
flange of girder
 Increases lateral stiffness
 Labor-intensive
 Last resort

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Rigging
 Single-crane pick
 Two-crane pick

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PCI Resources
 PCI Girder Stability Subcommittee
- Glenn Myers, P.E., Chair
 Lateral Stability Guidelines for Prestressed
Concrete Girders
 Excel Spreadsheet Tool
 Upcoming Training
 William N. Nickas, P.E.
- Managing Director, Transportation Systems

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Questions?
Eriksson@ LRFD.com

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